PENSION AT LAST

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1929, Page 6

PENSION AT LAST

CASE OF J. J. MEIKLE. COAIAHTTEE RECOMAIENDS' 4-4 A WEEK. ‘ WELLINGTON, October 2. There is a likelihood that no more will •be beard of the now celebrated petition of John J. Aleikle, of Auckland, whose bitter experiences in being imprisoned wrongfulv for seven years on a charge of sheep stealing has been brought prominently before the public since the day he was set free, nearly thirty years ago. To-day the Public Petitions,M to Z Committee presented a report referring Aleikle’s petition to the Government for favourable consideration, with a suggestion that the Government should consider granting petitioner a suitable annuity of not less than £4 per week. It is stated by those interested that the Government will probably act on the recommendation. When the report was presented Air Alunns (Roskill) said this petition was now looked upon as a hardy annual. Air Alunns then outlined the familiar circumstances of tlie Aleikle case. He told how Air Aleikle had been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment Ifor sheep stealing, and bow on completion of bis sentence be bent his energies towards proving that a witness on whose evidence lie was gaoled had committed perjury. ’The witness was convicted of perjury and sent to gaol. Mr Aleikle was subsequently awarded £2500 by way of compensation for wastage of seven of the best years of his life. Since then Aleikle bad never ceased to petition Parliament, because be had spent £SOOO and many years of liis life in bringing the false witness to justice. Air Alunns said lie hoped the Government would treat M,r Aleikle generously now that lie was an old man with but a few years to live. With £4 a week lie would bo able to get along, but Mr Alunns hoped the Government would be generous. Air Aleikle at the present time was living with bis wife in a little shack in the Roskill district.